Display-case.



N. NJBENDZ.

DISPLAY CASE. A PPLIOATION HLED OOT. 31,1908.

91 0,35 1 Patented Jan 19,1909.

UNITED STATE PATENT FFICE.

NELS N. BENDZ, OF GERESOO, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO H. LEAL, OF CERESCO, NEBRASKA.

DISPLAY-CASE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, NnLs N. BENDZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cereseo, in the county of Saunders and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Display-Case, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to display stands and has for its object to provide a comparatively simple and thoroughly efficient device of this character especially designed for use in stores and the like for displaying different articles of merchandise.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display stand having a plurality of panels pivotally mounted thereon and adapted to support the merchandise to be exhibited, said panel being movable to open osition to display the goods and forming a ousing or protection for the merchandise when moved to closed position.

A further object is to provide means for limiting the inward movement of the display panels, and means for simultaneously operating said panels.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efiiciency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of, construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a perspective view of a display stand constructed in accordance with my invention showing the display panels in open position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same showing the panels in closed position. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of one corner of the display stand. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of the pinions and its associated parts showing the manner of locking the same to the adjacent shaft.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The improved display stand forming the subject matter of the present invention includes a hollow frame or cabinet comprising Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 31, 1908.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Serial No. 460,472.

upper and lower plates 5 and 6, preferably rectangular in shape, and connected at their corners by uprights 7 preferably in the form of angle bars, as shown.

Journaled in the plates 5 and 6 at each corner post or standard 7 is a vertical shaft 8 to which is secured a display panel 9, the inner face of which is provided with one .or more shelves, hooks or similar suspension devices 10 for supporting the articles to be exhibited.

Disposed above the plate 5 and spaced from the latter to form an intermediate chamber 11 is an auxiliary top plate 12 having a vertical stub shaft 13 journaled therein and extending through the plate 5. Keyed or 0therwise rigidly secured to-the stub shaft 13 is a wheel or disk 14 provided with peripheral teeth and having spaced notches or recesses 15 formed therein and defining segmental racks 16. The upper ends of the shafts 8 are extended vertically through the chamber 11 with their terminals journaled in the auxiliary plate 12, and disposed in said chamber and rigidly secured to each shaft 8 is a pinion 17 arranged to mesh with the teeth of the adjacent rack 16.

Secured to or formed integral with the top 5 of the cap is an enlargement or collar 18 and interposed between said enlargement and the lower face of the wheel 14 is a washer 19 which forms a bearing and serves to reduce friction between the parts. Keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the stub shaft 13 is a crank handle 20 by means of which the wheel or disk may be rotated, thereby to simulta neously move the display panels to open or closed positions. The upper end of each shaft 8 is provided with an annular groove defining a stop shoulder 20, and slidably mounted in said groove is a spring actuated locking member 21, one end of which is adapted to enter a key seat 22 in the adjacent shaft, while the o posite end of the looking key is bent laterallgr to form a finger piece 23 by means of which the key 21 may be withdrawn from the key seat 22 to permit the adjacent door to be operated independently of the remaining doors. A leaf spring 24 is provided for each locking key, one end of each spring being secured to the upper plate 5, while the opposite end thereof bears against a shoulder 25 carried by the adjacent key. Thus it will be seen that by rotating the handle 20 in one direction the display panels may be moved simultaneously to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings so as to exhibit the merchandise supported on the inner faces of said panels, and that when the handle is rotated 1n the opposite direction the panels will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and in which position said panels form the side walls of the cabinet and thus serve to house and protect the merchandise from dust and other foreign matter. It will also be seen that by manipulating the locking keys 21 the several doors or panels may be adjusted simultaneously or independently of each other.

Attention is here called to the fact that the corner osts or standards 7 not only serve to reinforce and strengthen the cabinet, but by engagement with the free ends of the display panels serve to limit the inward movement thereof, as best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A display stand including a cabinet, display panels pivotally mounted for swinging movement in the cabinet and rovided with means for supporting the artic es to be exhibited, a pinion mounted for rotation with each panel, a gear wheel mounted for rotation on the cabinet and adapted to mesh with the teeth of the pinions, and means for rotating the gear to move said panels simultaneously to open and closed positions.

2. A display stand including a cabinet comprising upper and lower plates connected by corner posts, an auxiliary plate spaced from the upper plate to form an intermediate chamber, display panels pivotally mounted between the upper and lower plates of the cabinet at each corner post and having their pivotal axes extended through the compartment, pinions secured to the extended ends of said axis, a mutilated gear mounted for rotation within the compartment and adapted to engage the pinions for simulta neously moving the panels to open and closed positions.

3. A display stand including a cabinet comprising upper and lower p ates, angle bars connecting the plates at the corners thereof, an auxiliary plate spaced from the pinions on the shafts, and a sprin.

upper plate to form an intermediate com partment, shafts journaled in the upper and lower plates of the cabinet at the corner posts and having their upper ends extended vertically through the compartment, display panels secured to and movable with the shafts, pinions carried by the extended. ends of said shaft, a collar secured to the top plate, a disk mounted for rotation within the compartment and provided with segmental racks adapted to engage the pinions for moving the panels to open and closed posi tions, a bearing washer interposed between the collar and said disk, and a handle operatively connected with the disk for rotating the latter.

4. A display stand including a cabinet, a series of display panels pivotally mounted on the cabinet, and means operatively connected with the panels for moving the same simultaneously or independently to open and closed positions.

5. A display stand including a cabinet comprising u per and lower plates, vertical shafts journa ed in said plates at the corners of the cabinet, display panels carried by and movable with the shafts, pinions loosely mounted on the upper ends of the shafts, a gear wheel adapted to mesh with the pinions for simultaneously moving the panels to open and closed positions, and locking members for keying the pinions to the shafts.

6. A display stand including a cabinet comprising upper and lower plates, shafts mounted for rotation in the plates at the corners of the cabinet, dis lay panels carried by the shafts, pinions oosely mounted on the upper ends of the shafts, locking keys slidably mounted on the shafts and arranged to enter registering seats formed in the pinions and shafts, respectively, for keying the bearing against each locking key for normally fixing each pinion on its shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' NELS N. BENDZ. l/Vitnesses W. L. GALE,

FRED MOSTROM. 

